THOUGH I spent a lot of the last two years arguing that the referendum campaign was not about any one individual, I cannot deny the impact that the out-going First Minister had on the independence movement.

Indeed while he may not have achieved the Yes vote we both wanted, the flourishing of political engagement Scotland witnessed during and since the referendum campaign may well be Alex Salmond’s greatest legacy.

I don't think I'm giving much away by admitting that I was never his biggest fan. Even in our area of closest agreement, we found much to disagree on; from currency to the monarchy to NATO, our visions of an independent Scotland diverged significantly.

And while his reputation will largely be founded on his role in progressing the case for independence, he needs to be remembered also for his record as the head of the Scottish Government.

Where he showed openness to compromise and cooperation, there were great successes. Same sex marriage and the moves to beat the bedroom tax were high-water marks of his administration, as was the earlier passing of the Climate Change Act. But while his ambition on climate change and his principled stance on climate justice were admirable, we must not let his government off the hook for failing to meet its own emissions targets three years running.

The recent announcement that the Scottish Government-owned Prestwick Airport has inked a deal to host Donald Trump’s private jet and helicopter will serve as a reminder of one of the most regrettable incidents of his time in office. The apparently cosy relationship with the odious property magnate during the construction of his controversial golf course on the Menie Estate in Aberdeenshire is something I hope the incoming First Minister will not repeat.

But Mr Salmond is now the former First Minister, and in Nicola Sturgeon he hands the office to a successor who has already earned a degree of respect as a capable and professional minister. The media tried to make Salmond the personification of the independence campaign, but it was Nicola Sturgeon who represented the SNP inside the Yes campaign, and who steered the Referendum Act through Parliament. I felt privileged to share debating platforms with Nicola during the campaign. An undeniably talented politician, she is widely respected even by those who disagree with her politics. While Scotland has had several female party leaders, she will be the first woman to occupy the office of First Minister. I hope she will be the first of many.

If the polls and her party’s burgeoning membership are anything to go by, then Nicola Sturgeon is set for something of a honeymoon period. And for the duration of the Scottish Labour leadership contest at least, she will face weak opposition.

But the post-referendum bubble won't last much longer, and pretty soon she will have to make big decisions about what sort of government she wants to lead.

One issue on which her government must take a bolder stance is fracking. While the SNP has indicated a cautious approach to fracking and other forms of unconventional gas extraction, I would like to see genuine leadership on this issue. The Scottish Parliament already has the powers it needs to block future developments, and the incoming First Minister should mark a clear line in the sand and put a moratorium on fracking and similar projects.

Almost two years ago, during the early stages of the referendum campaign, Nicola Sturgeon said that "the case for independence does not rest on identity or nationality, but rather on values of social justice, enterprise and democracy”. That language was echoed in her speech to SNP conference at the weekend, where she pitched the SNP as the party of social justice. If the First Minister is to deliver on this bold rhetoric, then she will have to be considerably bolder than her predecessor.